As the state is buffeted by a seemingly unending series of scandals involving elected officials, we asked a number of experts and politicians to weigh in what was New York’s worst political scandal ever. Let us know if you agree–and what scandals may have been overlooked. Larry Norden Deputy Director, Brennan Center for Justice The past 10 years have been really bad for Albany. We’ve had at least 13 convictions of elected officials, many more indictments, including three of the… [More]

On Friday evening past the close of the business day, Bronx Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj sent out to his contact list a rather standard email asking his supporters to join him in celebrating the campaign kick-off of Richie Torres, a candidate running for New York City Council. The only problem is that the email originated from Gjonaj’s official Assembly email account, a breach of the rules covering governmental communication. Reached for comment, Will Madonna, a spokesman for Gjonaj, acknowledged the mistake,… [More]

  Just when you thought Albany couldn’t get any more disgusting, Vito Lopez’s ethics-bending sexual harassment report became public. The findings eviscerate Lopez for his lecherous behavior toward eight former staff members and taint Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as his enabler. The report’s slimy details made us so uncomfortable that we’ll go take another shower while you take a look at our winners and losers.   Ray Halbritter – The Oneida Nation’s representative extolled this week’s catchall agreement between his people, the state and two… [More]

In a crowded race to take over the seat of term-limited incumbent Manhattan City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, real estate attorney Marc Landis picked up a key endorsement that helps bolster his standing as the “progressive” candidate in the race. Landis was among the Council candidates to be endorsed by the labor-backed Working Families Party last week, who highlighted Landis’ work around affordable housing and fighting for tenants’ rights as part of the reason for their support. “We’re proud to endorse… [More]

Bronx City Council candidate Ritchie Torres announced today that he has received the support of the Progressive Power Coalition, a group of advocacy groups that consists of Make The Road Action Fund, Citizens Action NY, VOCAL NY Action Fund, Community Voices Heard Power, and New York Communities for Change. “We want a City Council that reflects progressive values and is fired up about moving forward racial and economic justice in our city,” said Jim Lister, board member of VOCAL-NY Action… [More]

In advance of the May 15 filing deadline, Bill Thompson’s mayoral campaign announced that they have raised more than $600,000 in the two-month filing period, almost double what his campaign had reported in the previous filing. Thompson’s chief campaign strategist and manager, Jonathan Prince, said that the uptick in fundraising lends credence to the notion that Thompson is building momentum in comparison to his Democratic rivals. “The campaign is starting to kick into high gear, and we have moved aggressively… [More]

If endorsements are any indication, Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James can make a solid case that she is gaining traction in the race for New York City Public Advocate, despite her opponents state Sen. Daniel Squadron and former Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani having better fundraising numbers. James is expected to add another endorsement to her growing docket of support, which includes labor unions SEIU 32BJ, CWA 1180, and United Auto Workers 9A, with the expected announcement from New York Communities for Change, a… [More]

On the northeastern end of former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s district, which once straddled Brooklyn and Queens, voters are not looking forward to the disgraced former congressman’s potential candidacy for mayor of New York City. On a street corner in the Queens neighborhood of Bayside, it is hard to find anyone who would say that they would give Weiner another shot if he jumps into the race. Most residents said there was no chance at all that he would get their… [More]

In the crowded race to replace embattled Queens Councilman Dan Halloran one candidate continues to accrue widespread labor support, which could help him gain traction in the coming months. Austin Shafran, a former vice president of public relations for Empire State Development, was one of the Council candidates endorsed by the Working Families Party last week, and both the Hotel Trades Council and 1199 SEIU, two of the city’s more powerful unions, voted to support Shafran during the WFP voting process.… [More]

At a panel hosted by City & State on New York’s healthcare delivery system on Thursday, Continuum Health Partners CEO Stanley Brezenoff defended his company’s past management of Brooklyn’s Long Island College Hospital, which ended with the hospital incurring debt that was reportedly as high as $300 million. Brezenoff acknowledged the difficulty of running a state hospital, and said that Continuum put forth a number of ideas to try and stem the bleeding, including merging with other hospitals, eliminating costly services and… [More]